§ Mr. Tom HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps the Government are taking to allow local authorities to make the electoral register available for commercial purposes. [31216]
§ Dr. WhiteheadWe intend to publish shortly a paper setting out the Government's intentions for regulations making provision, with effect from the 2002 canvass, about the sale of electoral registers to commercial organisations. Under current legislation, in the light of a recent High Court judgment, electoral registration officers must continue to sell registers, but when selling to commercial organisations must in general exclude the particulars of electors who have objected to their details being included in such cases.